Flash light



June 29 1926,

W. F. HENDRY ET AL FLASH LIGHT Filed August 1. 1925 Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,590,625 TENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. HENDRY, OF OSSINING, AND CHARLES J. NELSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, INC., NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLASH LIGHT.

Application filed August 1, 1925.

This invention relates to flashlights, and more particularly to switches for electrical hand lamps.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved flashlight switch of the three-position type, that is to say, in which the switch may be held in three dis tinct positions; in one, the lamp cannot be lighted; in another, the lamp may be flashed; and in the third, the lamp is permanently lighted.

With this object in view we provide a switch composed of relatively few parts which may be readily mounted on a casing and yet so firmly held that its accidental dislocation is effectively prevented.

The nature of the lnvention will more clearly appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and the ap ended claims.

In t e drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a flashlight; and Fig. 2 is a section of the switch along lines 22 of Fig. 1.

The flashlight consists of a tubular metallic casing 1 enclosing a dry cell battery 2. The zinc electrode of the battery is in con tact with a flange 3 projecting from a cap 4 which is in screw-threaded engagement with the lower end of the tubular casing 1. The carbon electrode 5 of the battery contacts with one terminal 6 of an incandescent electric light bulb 7. The other terminal of the, lamp 7 is connected with a metallic screw-threaded base 8. The base 8 is in screw-threaded engagement with a metallic socket 9 provided with a cup-shaped flange 10. The cup-shaped flange 10 is stamped out of a resilient piece of metal with a plurality of spring fingers like 11. These fingers are bent up at right angles. The socket 9 and its flange 10 are fastened to a disc of insulatin material which is seated on an annular shoulder 16 provided in the casing 11. On top of the lamp and socket assembly is placed a metallic reflector 17 provided with an opening 18 which is sufficiently large to permitpassage of the light bulb. 7. The reflector is seated on the spring fingers 11 and is firmly held in place by means of a lens 19 clamped to the end of the casing 1 by means of a ring 20. The reflector 17 is insulated from the casing by means of a sleeve 21 seated on a shoulder 22 provided in the bell-shaped end 23 of Serial No. 47,588.

casing 1. By rotating the cap 4 the battery 2 may be reciprocated within the casing and will force the bulb 7 with its socket against the tension of spring fingers 11, e ecting thus an desired focusing. The spring fin ers sli e. along the lower surface of the re ector 17 and when the cap 4 is unscrewed, cause the bulb with its socket and the battery 2 to return to their normal position. At all times the spring fingers maintain the bulb 7 properly centered with respect to opening 18.

The socket 9 is prevented from rotating by means of a conductor or contact spring 24 passing through a notch 25 provided in the insulating disc 15. The circuit of the lamp extends through terminal 6, the. battery 2, the casing 1, contact spring 24, reflector 17 with which the spring is in engagement, the spring fingers 11, the flange 10, socket 9, base 8, back to the other terminal of the lamp.

The. spring 24 forms part of a pile-up mounted on the casing 1 by means of rivets 27. The pile-up is composed of the spring 24, an insulating wrapper 28 surrounding a section of the spring, a sheet of insulation 29, a relatively light spring 30 and a heavy spring 31. The holes in spring 24 through which rivets 27 pass are relatively large so that the spring remains insulated from the casing. The springs 30 and 31 are electrically connected with the casin 1 through rivets 27. The lower end 32 of spring 24 projects beyond the insulating wrapper 28 and is bent down to rest upon the sheet of insulation 29. The free end 33 of the spring 30 is bent up and bears against the upper edge of a slide 34, pressing said slide against the inside of the casing 1. The slide has depending flanges 35 to hold the dry cells out of contact with the spring pile-up. The lower part of the heavy spring 31 is bent into an elbow 36 normally lying in a corrugation 37 provided in the slide 34. The free end of the spring 31 is formed into a finger 38 serving as a stop for the slide by engaging the bent-down end 43 of the corrugated part thereof. A button 39 projecting from the slide through an opening 40 in the casing 1 may be engaged to move the slide up and down. The slide with its corrugated part, button 39 and flanges 35 is preferably formed of one piece of metal.

lamp circuit.

the upper and lower ends, the slide remains properly seated. The end 38 of spring31 )revents the slide from slia tim within the casing .1 when depressed. This is particularly important in case the switch is handled with the casing empty. "When it is desired to "flash the light, the slide 34 is moved upward by means of button 39 until the elbow 36 comes to rest in the corrugation 41. IlVhen the button 39 is now depressed, theupper end of the slide 34 will engagethe spring end 32, which lies in a lower plane thanthe slide,and completes the When it is desired per1na nently to light the lamp, the slide is moved into its upper end position untilthe elbow 36comes to rest in the corrugation 49 in ,whichpo'sition theupper end of the slide will be wedged between the casing 1. and an intermediate portion of the spring 24, which lies substantially intheplaneof the slide, permanently closing the lamp circuit.

What we claim, is

1. In a flashlight, a casing, a battery and a bulb enclosed therein, a slide and a cooperating contact for controlling thebulb circuit, and two springs mounted on the casing on one side of said slide,-the free ends of said springs; pressing the two edges of said 'slide against said casing.

2. "In aiflashlight, a casing, a battery and abulb enclosed therein, a slide and a cooperating contact for controlling the bulb circuit, andvtwo springs mounted. on the casing in -apile-up with said contact, the free ends of said springs bearing against two edges of said slide.

3.111. aflash-light, a casing, a battery and a bulb enclosed therein, a slide and a cooperating contactfor controlling the bulb circuit, andtwo springsmounted on-the casingin a pile-up with said contact, the.

free ends of said springs bearing, respectively, against the upper and lower ends ofsaid' slide. I

4.In' a flashlight, a metallic casing,- a battery and-aibulb enclosed therein, a'metallic slide. and a cooperating contact for 'controlling the bulb circuit, insulation sep arating-said contact from said'casing, and two springs mounted on; the casing in a; pile up with said contact, the free ends of said springs bearing, --respectivel,y, against the upperand lowerends of said slide pressing it against the inner surface of said casing,

'5. In a flashlight, a casing, abatteryand a bulbenclosed therein, a slide and a cooperating contactlfor controlling the bulb circuit, a corrugated surface and a pro]ection on said slide, and two projections in the free end of said contact, onecooperating with said corrugated surface rand-the other engaging thev saidsslideto limit itSnlTlOVQ- ment.

6. In a flashlight, a casing, a battery and a bulb enclosed therein, a three-position switch comprising a-slide and a cooperating contact for controlling the bulb circuit, two springs mounted on the casing in a pile-up with said contact, the free ends ofsaid springs bearing respectively, against, the -u-pper and lower ends ozt'said slide, and a but ton projecting from said slide; to the outside of said casing by means of which: the slide may be moved with respect=tosaid contact against the tensionof said springs.

7. Ina fiashlight,-a casing, a batteryand a bulben'closed therein, acontact connected with said bulb, a slide cooperating with said contact for controllingthe bulb circuit, said contact and slide being normallyoutof reach from each other, two springs-mounted on the casing in-a pile-up with said contact, the free ends of saidsprings bearing, respectively, againstthe upper'and lower ends of said slide, and-a button projectingfrom said slide-to the outside otsaidcasing bymeans of which the slide-may'be anoved against the=tension or said springs longitudinally within the reaclr-of said contact and depressed into engagement therewith.

8. In a flashlight,- a metalliccasing, abattery. and-a bulb-in said casing, anmeta ll-ic slide within said casing, said slide: having-a corrugated surface nearone end, a"pile up mounted on said casing-above said'sl-ide, said pile-up comprising-an insulated contact spring havingoneendin contact with the bulb circuit and the other end terminating above-said slide, a-spring the free end of which presses one edge ef-said slide against the casing, and'a springhavingaprojection in its free end cooperating-with said corrugated surface.

9. In a flashlight, a -l116t2 l-l-liC casing, a battery and-a bulb in said casing, a metallic slide within said casing, saidslide having a corrugated surface near its -lower end, -a pile-up mounted on said-casing-above said slide, said pile u-p comprising an insulated contact spring having one end in contact with'the bulbcircuit-and the other end terminating above the upper end of said slide and below the plane thereof, a spring the free end of which pressestheupper edge of said slide against the casing, a sheet of insulation projecting :between the lower ends of said contactspr-ingandspring and a-spring havingprojections in its freeen'd cooperating-with the corrugatedlower end of'said slide.

10. 111 a flash-light, a -met-allic casing, -a

battery and a bulb in said casing, a threeposition switch comprising a metallic slide within said casing, said slide having a corrugated surface and a turned-down part near its lower end a pile-up mounted on said casing above said slide, saidpile-up comprising an insulated contact spring having one end in contact with the bulb circuitand the other end terminating above the upper end of said slide and below the plane thereof, an intermediate portion of said spring lying substantially in the plane of said slide, a spring electrically connected with the casing and having a free end which July 1925.

WILLIAM F. HENDRY. CHARLES J. NELSON. 

